A LAMP TO MY FEET. A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Are any among you suffering?

They should pray.

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Are any cheerful?

They should sing songs of praise.

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Are any among you sick?

They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them,

anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.

The prayer of faith will save the sick,

and the Lord will raise them up,

and the Lord will raise them up;

and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.

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– James 5:13-15 (NRSV)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, hear my prayer!
In Your righteousness listen to my plea;
answer me in Your faithfulness! [Psalm 143:1]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“I am the vine, you are the branches.

Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit,

because apart from me you can do nothing.

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Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers;

such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

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– John 15:5-6 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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A life of intimate union with Christ

through reading Scripture, prayer and participation in the Sacraments

will help us

as we go about meeting our human obligations

in the ordinary conditions of life;

in our daily work;

in our family life;

in our socialising.

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As true and faithful Christians,

we must not separate our union with Christ from our ordinary life.

By always acting in accordance to God’s will,

we will be strengthening our union with Him.

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If we do not stay united to Christ by means of grace,

we will ultimately meet the same fate as those dead branches.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, You are the Vine, I am a branch.

Lord, You are Life – without You I die.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Peace I bequeath to you,

my own peace I give you,

a peace the world cannot give,

this is my gift to you.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

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– John 14:27 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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“A peace the world cannot give”

The peace of the world can be superficial and misleading

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The peace Christ gives us

is that deep inner comforting peace,

which only comes if we entrust ourselves totally to Him,

knowing that He is always by our side;

that He loves and cares for us beyond our comprehension;

that He will lead us safely through thick and thin.

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The peace Christ gives us is

"serenity of mind,

tranquillity of soul,

simplicity of heart,

a bond of love,

a union of charity.” (St. Augustine)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O God of Love, O King of Peace,

empty me from myself,

and fill me with Your peace.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.

And because they love me, my Father will love them.

And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.

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All who love me will do what I say.

My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.

Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me.

And remember, my words are not my own.

What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.”

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– John 14:21,23-24 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus couldn’t be more clear than this:

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.”

“All who love me will do what I say.”

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Self-centeredness pushes us towards disobeying God’s commandments

because we want to satisfy our own needs and desires.

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When we allow our self-centeredness to take over,

as a result we will loving ourselves more than we love Jesus

– something which, as believers, we find difficult to admit.

And so, we convince ourselves by seeking to justify our actions and our disobedience.

When we do so we will be taking advantage of God’s mercy,

and that does not reflect true love at all.

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Knowing your behaviour is wrong and that it goes against God’s commandments,

and continually opting for wrong over right,

is choosing not to love Jesus

and to turn your back on Him.

That is a dangerous place to remain in!

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We all have a choice of what and who is at the centre of our life

– will it be sin, ourselves, or Christ?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, I love You – Your will be done.

Lord, be the centre of my life!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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For God is not unjust.

He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him

and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do.

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– Hebrews 6:10 (NLT)

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QUOTES…

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“Now that we hear this – I beg you – let us serve the saints!

for every member of the faithful is a saint by the mere fact of belonging to the faithful […]

So, if you see someone suffering, do not doubt it for one moment:

his very suffering gives him the right to be helped."

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– St John Chrysostom

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“Do good […]; practise the virtue of justice,

right where you are, in your normal surroundings,

even if you end up exhausted.

Foster happiness among those around you

by cheerfully serving the people you work with

and by striving to carry out your job as perfectly as you can,

showing understanding, smiling, having a Christian approach to life.

And do everything for God,

thinking of His glory,

with your sights set high and longing for the definitive homeland,

because there is no other goal worthwhile."

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– St John Chrysostom

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O Lord, my God, give me the grace to see You in everyone,

and the joy to help others carry their cross.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“I will do whatever you ask in my name,

so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”

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– John 14:13-14 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus Christ is our Divine Intercessor in Heaven;

therefore, He promises us that everything we ask for in His name,

He will do.

However, it is not for us to decide when, where and how.

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When I ask in faith, in Jesus’ Name,

I am appealing to the power of the Risen Christ,

believing that He is all-powerful and merciful because He is true God.

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Jesus is our Saviour

so, when I ask in His Name,

I ask for what is conducive to my salvation,

or to the salvation of the person or persons I am praying for.

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When it seems that my prayers haven’t been answered,

it is because what I asked for would not have made for my salvation

or for the salvation of who I prayed for.

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In this way we can see that Jesus is, above all and always, our Saviour

…both when He refuses us what we ask

as well as when He grants it.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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No other name but Your Name, Lord.

Jesus, Your will be done. Amen!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Let not your hearts be troubled;

believe in God,

believe also in Me.”

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– John 14:1 (RSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus’ words of reassurance,

of encouragement,

are addressed to everyone who believes in Him.

The Lord will bring with Him into glory

all those who have believed in Him

and who have stayed faithful to Him.

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Jesus is telling us,

“If you believe in God, as I know you do,

believe also in Me,

and consequently trust Me. For I am God.

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By this faith and confidence you may overcome all your fears,

and be made partakers of my promises.

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Cast all your cares and anxieties upon Me, your Lord and your God.

For although I am not physically present,

yet in My spirit, in My care and guidance of you,

I am always with you.”

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[Jesus’ words are from Cornelius a Lapide]

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord Jesus, thank You for always being here.

O Lord, whenever my heart is troubled,

please guide me, take care of me, and fill me with Your peace!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I will sing of Your steadfast love, O Lord, for ever;
with my mouth I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations.

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– Psalm 89:1 (NRSV)

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A SONG…A PRAYER…

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Over the mountains and the sea
Your river runs with love for me
and I will open up my heart
and let the Healer set me free.
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I’m happy to be in the truth
And I will daily lift my hands
for I will always sing
of when Your love came down.
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I could sing of Your love forever!

Everywhere I look I’m singing,

every breath of air I’m breathing

– I could sing of Your love forever!

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[Words are the lyrics of the song “I could sing of Your love forever!”. Click here to join in singing this wonderful song of thankful joy. ]